Picture hanging device



(No Model.)

. W. P. CAVE.-

PICTURE HANGING DEVICE.

ANDRLW a GRAHAM Puom LATNO WASMNGTDNADC UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM P. CAVE, OF SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TO EDMUND E. KATZ, OF SAME PLACE.

PICTURE-HANGING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,548, dated April 21, 1896.

Application filed August 28, 1895. Serial No. 560,759. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM P. CAVE, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Bernardino, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picture- I-Ianging Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in picture-hanging devices, and it has for its objects among others to provide a simple and cheap picture-han ger by means of which a picture can be hung at any desired angle or inclination with relation to the wall without the employment of any other support or device.

In hanging a picture by the usual method, by a cord or wire, upon a nail, hook, or other support, when the picture is once placed in position at a certain angle the inclination cannot be changed without throwing the picture out of line, without the intervention or employment of some extraneous means or by changing the position of the attachment of the cord or wire to the frame either higher or lower. In hanging several pictures in a room where it is desired to have them all hang at the same angle from the wall it is found that if the screw-eyes be secured in the frames all at the same distance from the top some will hang at dierent angles from the others, owing to the difference in weight of the material of which the frames are composed.

All the objectionable features of the old method of hanging a picture are overcome by the employment of my hanging device which in itself constitutes all the support necessary for any picture and holding it at any desired angle with ready provision for the changing of the inclination when desired. It embodies a yieldingly-supported substantially T-shaped part, over the arms of which the cord or wire is passed, and means for binding the cord or wire against movement when the weight of the picture draws thereon.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterappear, and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure lis a perspective view of my improved picture-hanging device, showing a picture-frame hung therefrom. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the hanger. Fig. 3 is a central vertical cross-section through the same.

Like letters of reference on the drawings indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates the body portion of the hanger, which may be formed or provided with a hook B to engage over a picture-molding, or a hole b to receive a screw or nail by which it may be secured to a wall, or both, whereby either manner of suspending or securing the hanger in position may be employed, as may be desired.

Extending from the body portion of the hanger at opposite sides are the lugs A', the upper ends of which are bifurcated or slotted, as seen at a., while between these lugs upon the same side of the body portion is the socket portion B, the opposite sides of which are slotted, as seen at b, and in this socket is arranged the spring C, of any suitable form, in

this instance shown as a coiled spring, but other forms may be employed or used, if de sired'.

D is a substantially T-shaped bar, the vertical leg or portion of which is designed to work in the socket B and to be acted upon by the said spring, the tendency of which is to force the said bar upward. The lateral portions of this bar extend through the side slots of the socket portion and work in the slots of the lugs at the sides of the body portion, as will be readily seen from the drawings.

On the body portion between the lugs and the socket portion are the raised portions E, which extend beyond the walls of the slots in the said lugs nearest the face of .the body portion, for a purpose which will hereinafter be made apparent. The said raised portions may be faced with rubber if desired.

In operation the hanger is supported against the Wall either by a nail or screw passed through the hole in the body portion or by placing the hook over the molding. The cord F is attached to the lower right-hand corner of the frame G, thence carried up and back of the right arm of the T-shaped bar, andlthen down and through a screw-eye II, placed in the center of the top of the frame, as shown. Thence the cord is passed up and over the left arm of the T-bar and thence down and its other end attached to the lower left-hand corner of the frame, as shown. By taking hold of the lower corners of the frame and lifting up, theeweight is taken oif of the T-bar, which is forced up by the spring, thus freeing the cord or wire and allowing it to slip over the arms of the bar. Then allow the weight of the frame to come down, forcing the bar down and thereby clamping the cord against the raised portionsE of the bodyportion, and the frame will thus be securely held in place. The ends of the cord can be otherwise attached if desired. 'Ihe angle or inclination of the frame can be easily and quickly changed or adjusted by simply tilting the picture more or less, the cord being held by frictional engagement of the lateral arms of the T-bar against the raised portions on the body portion.

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the i11- vention or sacricing any of its advantages.

What I claim as new isl. A picture-hanging device comprising a body portion with means for its application to a wall or other support, a yieldngly-supported cord-supporting device, and a friction device coperating with the cord-supporting device, substantially as specified.

2. A picture-hanging device comprising a body portion with slotted lugs, and a yield* ingly-supported bar having arms working in the slots of said lugs, as set forth.

3. A picture-hanging device comprising a body portion with slotted lugs and a socket, a spring in said socket, and a bar having a shank Workin g in said socket upon said spring and lateral arms working in the slots of the lugs, substantially as specified.

4. A picture-hanging device comprising a body portion with slotted lugs and a socket with oppositely-disposed s1ots,a spring in said socket, a T-shaped bar and raised portions on the body portion acting in conjunction with the lateral arms of the said bar to clamp the picture-cord, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM I. CAVE.

Vitnesses:

J. H. PALMER, C. H. JONES. 

